Newsletter

Health Notes

If you want to cut your locks, forget trying to hawk them on eBay and donate the long tresses to Locks of Love, as Kevin Federline, Britney Spear's ex-husband, did in March 2006.

Locks of Love is an organization that makes hairpieces for children with cancer who have lost their hair because of medical treatments.

Anyone can donate their hair. But there are some restrictions, such as length and condition of hair. To learn how to donate, contact the nonprofit organization at (561) 963-1677 or visit www.locksoflove.org.

Beware of medical credit cards' interest rates

Some banks and financial firms have begun offering credit cards specifically to pay off medical bills, typically in partnership with doctors' offices and hospitals.

Medical credit cards can reduce the need for bill collection for doctors and hospitals, but the cards' potentially high interest rates can cause financial difficulties for low- and middle-income patients, according to the Kaiser network.org.

Citibank's Citi Health Card, for example, charges more than 20 percent in annual interest on a patient's balance if the patient does not meet the terms of the plan.

More Americans also are using regular credit cards to pay off medical bills. A recent survey found 20 percent of low- and middle-income households with medical debt, on average, had $3,700 more in credit card debt than households without medical debt.

Autism possibly linked to genetic disorder

One of the largest studies of the causes of autism identified a gene that may be linked to the disorder.

Researchers hope the discovery of the role of neurexin 1 in autism will eventually allow them to understand the cause of the disorder.

The Autism Genome Project, which involves 120 scientists from 19 countries, said neurexin 1 was part of a family of genes involved in the communication of messages between cells.

The study also found a previously unidentified region of chromosome 11 could be linked to the disorder.

No Snickers ads for children younger than 12

Masterfoods, the makers of Mars and Snickers chocolate bars, plans to quit marketing candy to children younger than 12 by the end of the year, Financial Times reports.

This marks the first time a major food company has set such a high global age threshold for such products. The action was prompted by increasing concerns about childhood obesity.

The move could drive other companies to adopt similar practices. Masterfoods already has a policy of not advertising to children younger than 6.